Grey Dawn
by TheBlackNecromancer
Summary: Severus thought that the death of the demon would spell the end of his troubles. He was wrong. It was only the beginning… *Sequel to The Watcher of Darkness*
1. Chapter 1

She felt as if all eyes were on her today. Ridiculous really, considering the fact that people generally have more important things to think about at funerals. But she still didn't feel at ease. Of course she didn't. She was at her husband's funeral. Not only that, but she was now with another man: Severus Snape.

The last few days leading up to the funeral had been pretty hectic and she hadn't really found the time to think about how she would feel today. Of course she felt terrible to a certain extent; they had been best friends at one point. It wasn't as though he had really been a _bad _person either; their relationship had simply disintegrated years ago. She obviously did miss some aspects of Ron, but there were others that she could easily live without. His bluntness and crude humour for example; or simply the fact that she could never have a proper conversation with him about a new book she had read, or a new article on Ancient Runes that she was publishing. He had cared nothing for those sorts of things.

And so it was with extremely mixed emotions that she had left to go to the funeral that morning. But she wasn't allowed to go alone. Severus had appeared that morning, insisting that she had someone to be with. At first she had objected, telling him that everyone would be talking about the two of them and turning up together would just fuel the gossip further. However he had then pointed out that they would be gossiping anyway whether they turned up together or separately, so they may as well provide company for each other. Eventually Hermione had agreed in the end, secretly glad that he would be there with her. She knew that despite what people might say about Severus they were still very much scared of him, and so it wound be very unlikely that anyone would give them any bother.

They were standing at the back of the crowd that had gathered for the service. The group mostly consisted of members of the Order, although a few ministry workers and one or two of their former classmates had also turned up. She had caught a glimpse of Harry at one point be she had the distinct impression that he was avoiding her. Not that it came as much of a surprise. First to speak was Dumbledore, who gave a very moving little speech about the loyalty and bravery of Ron as a member of the Order. Then there was Harry, who spoke about his and Ron's friendship throughout the years. Finally Mrs Weasley stood up to speak, and it was her speech, more than anyone else's, that affected her the most. Ron had always been special to Mrs Weasley, despite his obvious flaws. Mrs Weasley had always spoken highly of his wife too, which made Hermione feel very guilty about having Severus beside her. She knew that whatever happened now, Mrs Weasley wouldn't look at her the same way again. None of the Order would. It was this thought that finally caused the tears to start. One by one, rolling silently down her face, it was as though the shock of the last few days had finally hit her.

………………………………..........

Severus glanced sideways at Hermione, only to realise that she had started to cry. He reached up with one hand and gently brushed away one or two of the tears, and in return she gave him a weak smile. Seeing her cry again reminded him of the day when she had first received the letter from Ron. He still had his suspicions that Ron hadn't been in his right mind before his death and this frustrated Severus to no end, mainly because it meant he couldn't be free to hate him in peace. It also bothered him because he could help but think that if Ron had survived then Hermione would have chosen Ron, rather than be involved with an outcast such as himself. He still expected her to change her mind, to leave and never come back. He would probably tell her to do so if he wasn't so worried about how that would affect her. She was still recovering from the shock of the last few days and Severus felt it was his responsibility to look after her. However, once she has recovered from the shock Severus knew he would have to give her the choice.

After the service there was a reception at the Potter's house that Hermione had also felt obliged to go to. This meant the Severus was going with her whether she liked it or not. He had too many memories of the arrogance shown by both James and Harry to let Hermione go alone and risk her receiving any sort of backlash from associating with a Slytherin such as himself.

As they entered the house Severus noticed with some chagrin that the home was large and well furnished._ 'No doubt due to Potter's cushy job at the ministry…' _Severus thought rather bitterly. When they entered the living room he could feel the stares of the funeral-goers burning into them. He steered Hermione towards a small table in the corner of the room as quickly as possible, knowing she wasn't nearly as used to the glares as he was.

"Sit. I'll get you a drink." he told her sternly. He came back with two goblets and a bottle of elfish wine.

Hermione smiled despite herself. "A _whole_ bottle, Severus?"

He shrugged, meanwhile pouring the wine into the cups. "We'll most likely be here for a while, so I figured I may as well do something constructive with my time."

"You could always try talking to people." Hermione reminded him reprovingly.

"Oh, I know." he replied, smirking slightly. "But don't mind me, why don't you go and find Potter?"

"I don't-" Hermione paused and looked away. "I get the feeling he's avoiding me lately."

Severus took a sip of his wine before replying. "Because of me, I presume?"

Hermione looked rather awkward. "I'm sorry, but you know what he can be like."

Unfortunately, I do." Severus replied quietly. "But perhaps-" Severus paused and looked up in surprise as he noticed a strange smoke starting to fill the room.

"What is it?" he heard Hermione muttered in surprise. They weren't the only ones to notice however; muttering began to break out all over the room as people tried to distinguish the source of the smoke. Suddenly a flash of blinding red light exploded from the centre of the room and once his sight returned Severus could see that some sort of creature stood in the middle of the room. It appeared to be made entirely from smoke. There were gasps from people all round as the creature opened its mouth and began to speak.

"Beware," it hissed menacingly. "You mortals have angered my master greatly. You will all perish for your insolence."

It disappeared into thin air with another flash of red light, leaving a strange burnt circle in the middle of the floor. The room was silent.

Eventually people began to move around again and talk returned to the room once more.

"Come on." Severus snapped, grabbing Hermione's arm and pulling her up.

"Why? Where are we going?" she hissed at him.

"We're not safe here." he muttered in reply, pulling her to the front door.

"But that thing back there might not have had anything to do with us!"

"After the events over the last few weeks I'm not intending on taking any chances." he explained quickly, and before she could protest he pulled out his wand and apparated them both back to the only place he could think of: his old house at Spinners End.

…………………………….


	2. Chapter 2

………………………………

"Where the hell are we, Severus?"

Severus couldn't resist. "Do you mean now in particular or just life in general?" he quipped with a rare attempt at a half-smile.

Hermione glared at him. "You know fine well what I meant."

He put his wand away and walked to the other side of the shabby living room they had arrived in. Looking around he took in the old and tattered furniture that was strewn around the room and the threadbare curtains that hung covered equally grimy windows. There were the old bookshelves that he remembered from his childhood, covered with a thick blanket of dust. It wasn't exactly his favourite place in the world by any stretch of the imagination. It reminded of his father; of shouting and screaming. Of wishing that he could escape and see that Evans girl from down the road; wishing he could shake away the lingering fear of violence that had haunted him for years. He certainly hadn't planned on coming back here. He hoped, however, that because nearly no one knew or cared to know about the existence of his parents' house that it would be a safe place for them to stay.

Severus turned to face Hermione. "This," he gestured to the entire room, "Was where I used to live as a child."

Hermione was obviously surprised. "You lived here as a child? But you're not muggle born…" she paused and looked at him closely. "Are you?"

He shook his head and smiled humourlessly. "My mother was a pureblood witch. My father…he was muggle-born. This was his house."

"It's funny really," Hermione commented absentmindedly, "I always just presumed you were pureblood."

"Thought you knew better than to stereotype like that, Miss Granger." he retorted sarcastically, instinctively riled by her observation.

"I didn't mean it like that, Severus." Hermione replied, obviously hurt.

Severus didn't reply. Instead he headed through to the kitchen and started to search in the cupboards for anything edible. Hermione followed behind him, evidently keen to make amends.

"So why are we here then?" she enquired while he started to pull out some tins and investigate their contents.

"Whatever that conjuration was," he began while still searching, "It wasn't from a wizard."

"But that demon, she's dead, isn't she?"

He nodded. "Yes. But I am under the impression that she wasn't acting alone. If she had been then I think she would have said so. Boasted about it perhaps. Informed us about how great and superior she was."

Hermione frowned. "But she never gave the impression that she was acting with someone else either."

Severus glanced sideways at her. "Of course not. Even the lowest Death Eater would think his or herself to be superior to everyone else. It was partly how the Dark Lord managed to manipulate them and bend them to do his bidding." he held the tin in his hand out to Hermione. "Ginger Newt?"

Hermione looked from him to the biscuits and back again, evidently unsure whether it was safe to take one. Warily she reached out and took one. "Thank you." she muttered awkwardly.

He shrugged and put the tin on the worktop. "You should be safer here in a muggle home until we return to Hogwarts than any magical residence," he explained. "Harder to trace."

She nodded in response. They then found that a heavily silence lay between them as they stood in the tiny kitchen. After a moment Severus broke the silence.

"I should get in contact with Dumbledore." he murmured, and swept out the room, leaving her standing in the kitchen alone.

………………………………

That night Hermione slept in one of the two equally shabby bedrooms, while Severus slept in the living room. Not that she got much sleep that night.

Severus was avoiding her and she knew it. He spoke even less than was usual and she did not understand why. As she lay in the unfamiliar bed she tried to figure out what she could have done to bother him so much. _'Perhaps it was simply being in this house that bothered him,' _she reasoned fairly, but she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that it was her fault. When she did finally drift off, her sleep was fitful and restless. She found the blankets to be rough and uncomfortable and she was more than glad to see the morning come so that she could escape from the bedroom.

Of course once she got downstairs the next morning she found the reception to be equally as frosty as the night before. But she didn't comment. She didn't want him to know that he had upset her. So for the rest of the day she read by herself and planned out a couple of lessons for when they returned to Hogwarts. She was extremely grateful that she had her job to go back to as it would keep her mind off things. But they weren't scheduled to return until next week, so she still had a few days to wait. _'A few days stuck in this house.'_ she reminded herself.

It was only that evening that Severus decided to join her. She watched from behind her book as he picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet that was lying on the table and sat down on the sofa opposite. She continued to watch him as he flicked through the paper. For the most part his black hair hung over his face but from what she could see he looked more tired than usual. After a few minutes he looked up and caught her eye.

"I'm sorry, did you want to read this?" he enquired in an all-too innocent tone, smirking slightly. She could have kicked herself for being caught staring at him.

"Nope." she replied, equally neutrally, looking back down at her book and pretending to read it. Severus, on the other hand, continued to stare at her.

"There is something bothering you." he added quietly after a moment. It was a statement rather than a question.

"Well there's obviously something bothering you if you choose to avoid me all day." she snapped, irritated by his presumption.

He sighed and folding the paper he placed it on a nearby table. "I think that you would be better off avoiding me,"

"And why's that?" Hermione asked, too surprised to try and feign indifference.

"In case you haven noticed yet, I seem to attract problems," he smiled humourlessly. "I would rather you were not caught up in them."

"A bit late for that." Hermione replied dryly. He shrugged, then stood up and started to make his way out the room. "Wait," she began, and getting up she walked over to were he was standing. She reached out and touched his arm lightly. "Don't go."

He looked down at her and she found herself caught up by his dark eyes. He seemed to be fighting something; something inside him. She wondered what it was that troubled him, but knew better than to ask. He sighed as though coming to a decision and placed his hand on her cheek. "You will be the death of us both, Miss Granger," he commented with another rare smile, and before she knew it he was drawing her in closer and kissing her on the lips.

Not that she was complaining, of course.

……………………………


	3. Chapter 3

Needless to say, the rest of her stay at Spinner's End was much more enjoyable than the first night and Hermione was almost rather sorry to be going back. Their return to Hogwarts was pretty uneventful in itself, but she noticed a slight difference in the behaviour of the students. Officially, nothing was wrong. But there was whispers of strange shadows in the dark; of people not sleeping right; of unusual dreams that no-one could quite remember. Most teachers wouldn't outright admit to anything being different because they didn't quite want to believe it themselves. Being scared of shadows was supposedly a childish thing, like being scared of the dark. Yet more and more students and teachers alike seemed to be avoiding going out at night and were staying away from the outer reaches of the castle. Even her third years, usually uncontrollable last thing on a Monday afternoon, where very much subdued. It was concerning, to say the least.

…………………………

Severus was in a bad mood that evening for several reasons: firstly, a group of first-year Gryffindors hand managed to melt down their caldrons' this morning and had been under the misguided illusion that it wasn't their fault; secondly, he would have much rather avoided dinner altogether that evening, but after disappearing for at least a week and coming back with a noticeable limp, a lot of the students had been giving him strange looks, and it would be asking for trouble to not turn up in the great hall on his first day back. Thirdly, it was nearing Christmas, a social event that tended to irritate him more than any other. The endless singing, the students practically bouncing off their seats with excitement weeks beforehand and the fact that Dumbledore seemed to think that Severus was missing out by not joining in, were all perfectly good reasons to shut himself in the dungeons for the festive period. And this year there was another problem, an incredibly awkward one that Severus had never had the misfortune to deal with before: what should he get Hermione Granger for Christmas?

He was trying to work out that particular puzzle when he was heading out of the dungeons, keeping near to the torchlight at all times. Nowadays while walking through the castle he tended to make sure he kept away from the shadows, as ever since the demon had followed him around he had taken a severe dislike to the darkness. Rather ironic really. And some of the comments students had been making hadn't helped his disposition either. Talking about strange figures appearing in the shadows and dreams that didn't feel like dreams. He was sure most of it was childish gossiping; nevertheless it was more than enough to put Severus on his guard.

Once he reached the warmth of the great hall his fear slowly started to ebb away, and by the time he reached the top table he was only left with that same-old distinct feeling of unease that hadn't disappeared for years now. As he went to his usual seat, he was acutely aware of the fact that he was still limping. Once he reached his seat it also came to his attention that a few of the teachers nearby seemed to have hastily broken off their conversations before his arrival. He resisted the temptation to roll his eyes, resigned to the fact he was the source of gossip once again. Wincing slightly as he sat down he noticed that Lupin was sitting on his right. Remus smiled sympathetically at him and Severus was about to tell him to shut up and save his pity when he remembered that he had promised Hermione that he would be a little more civil to the werewolf.

"How's the leg?" Remus asked, oblivious to Severus's chagrin.

"Painful." Severus muttered, cursing Lupin inwardly.

"Should get better soon," Remus replied cheerfully, meanwhile helping himself to some stew that hat appeared on the table while they were talking.

Severus shrugged, biting back several unpleasant comments that threatened to be uttered. It looked like it would be a long and unpleasant meal, at this rate.

Later on the conversation around him turned, unsurprisingly, to the most feared and dreaded subject of Christmas. "So, where are you spending Christmas?"… "Have you got all your presents yet?"… "There's a sale on at Madam Milkin's, you know, half-price dress robes and everything!"…Severus had thought that now would be a good a time as any to escape. However, as he was about to stand up, Remus caught him off-guard.

"Got Hermione anything yet?" he asked him, a smile playing on his lips.

"Not yet." Severus snapped at the man, trying not to show his vexation with the matter.

"Well if you need any help-"

"I'm sure I can manage buying something as mundane as a Christmas present," Severus sounded far more confident than he actually felt. "Honestly Lupin? What do you take me for?"

Remus shrugged, and to Severus's frustration was now smirking. "If you say so, Severus…"

Severus glowered at him before finally getting up and limping away, resisting the urge to hex someone. Ignoring the mutterings of students as he made his way out the hall, he even threw in a few glares for some unfortunate third-year Hufflepuffs who had the misfortune to cross his path on their way through the doors.

As he reached his quarters he could feel something was not right. He glanced nervously at the shadows around him and instinctively pulled out his wand. Nearing the door, he nudged it open and cautiously stepped into his room.

"Is that how you normally greet guests?" the sarcastic comment came from none other than Hermione, who was sitting in an armchair near the fireplace.

"What are you doing here?" Severus muttered in surprise, shoving his wand back in his robes and closing the door behind him. He didn't think he could ever recall anyone visiting him for social reasons in all his years of working at Hogwarts.

"Charming," Hermione replied, getting up and walking over to him. She smiled slightly and folded her arms. "I come to return a book I borrowed and that's how you react."

Severus walked round her and unbuttoning his cloak he flung it on the nearest chair. "If you are looking for someone to greet you like a lost puppy, perhaps you should borrow things from some other sentimental fool. I'm sure Lupin is somewhere around the castle."

Hermione sighed pointedly. "It may come as a shock, but I came to visit you," she went over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "The one who has cared for me and has looked after me despite whatever he may claim to think or feel. Remember?"

"Well if you are only here because you feel obliged then I suggest you go elsewhere." Severus shrugged her hand away and moved away to his desk. He started to pick up a paper and pretend to look through it.

"Have you always been this self-pitying, or did it take time?" she snapped at him, glaring at him crossly.

The comment stung him. "I thought you came here to visit, not to irritate me to death," he sneered back.

Hermione sighed and seemed to change tack. "Look, I didn't mean-"

Severus glanced away from her and as he did so he just happened to notice something in the corner of the room behind her. He could have sworn that he'd seen the shadow move…but that was ridiculous, of course. He presumed it must have been the torch light, and yet…

"Are you even listening to me?" she interrupted reproachfully.

Severus ignored her chiding, not quite able to pull himself away from the corner. "Hermione," he murmured slowly, "Come away from there, please."

"Why?" she asked, slightly bemused. Nevertheless she did move over to where he was standing. "What is it?"

"I thought…" he shook his head slightly. "I thought I saw something moving, that's all."

Hermione looked at him worriedly, the concern evident in her voice. "There's nothing there, Severus."

"I know…" he agreed, finally tearing his gaze away from the edge of the room.

Hermione reached up and stocked his cheek gently. "Are…are you ok?"

He nodded, "But could you do something for me?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "Of course, anything."

"Stay away from the shadows."


	4. Chapter 4

_Severus was heading down a narrow, deserted corridor. The walls were grey stone and there was little light in the barren passage, save from a pale greenish tinge that seemed to surround him as walked slowly. As he went his hand grazed the rough surface of the brickwork and he recoiled as he found the stone to be ice cold to the touch. He started to walk faster and he could see his breath forming clouds in front of him as the temperature in the corridor dropped further. He knew that he needed to keep moving. That he shouldn't stop. Couldn't stop. _

_He glanced around at the inky black shadows. He wouldn't stop. Not if he wanted to live. _

_He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around him. He thought he could hear someone whispering. His eyes flickered from side to side, but he kept on walking. Faster and faster he went. He could feel a prickling at the back of his neck. Someone watching him. Following him. Behind him. _

_He knew that he couldn't stop, couldn't pause to glance back, but the whispering got louder, closer. Finally, he broke into a run, sprinting down the corridor, the greenish light and the shadows following him, dogging his footsteps. He kept on running and running, panting now, frozen by the cold air and weary from the moving. But he didn't slow down. The voice was near now; he could feel an icy hand reaching out for him, coming towards him-_

_Suddenly, he tripped over and found himself slipping, falling, slamming against a stone wall._

_A dead end. _

_He pulled himself up, realising that he had to turn around. That there was no escape. _

_Heart beating wildly, he turned his head to face-_

Severus woke up only to find himself shaking in his bed. Panting slightly, he reached out for his wand, noticing there was still an icy chill to the air. He sighed, and realising that he wouldn't sleep for the rest of the night he slowly climbed out of bed and flicked his wand to light the candles. Another flick and the fire burst into flames. He pulled on his black robes and stood in front of the fire, letting the heat slowly melt away the chill from his bones. The flickering orange flames helped to dispel the darkness from the room and he slowly felt his initial fear slip away, only to be replaced by a twisting anxiety in the pit of his stomach. It was a while since he had been plagued by a nightmare like that. Hopefully it would be a one-off. Of course he knew that it probably wouldn't be.

Eventually, he felt safe enough to move away from the fire and pour himself some brandy. He sat down in an armchair facing the fire, and as he slowly sipped his drink he stared at the burning flames, memorised by the tongues of flame that danced and sparked before his eyes. He felt tired, worn out, stretched to his limit. He was sick of jumping at shadows, and worried too. He knew Hermione hadn't believed him earlier that evening, but he was sure that something else had been there. Well almost sure. He fervently hoped so. The only other alternative was that he was finally cracking up.

Smiling bitterly to himself, he took another sip of his brandy while continuing to ponder his situation.

It would just be his luck after all.

………………………….

That morning, Hermione was sat in the great hall finishing her toast when her copy of the Daily Prophet arrived with the morning post. Once the paper had been untied from a restless barn owl she picked it up, unfolded it and was about to start reading it when she heard someone pull up a seat beside her. She looked up and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What happened to you?" Hermione asked bemusedly as an incredibly haggard-looking Severus sat down and began to help himself to some tea.

"Bad night's sleep," he explained while slowly sipping his tea.

"You look exhausted, you know," she commented with concern, taking in his grey pallor and dark circles under the eyes.

"Funny that," he muttered sarcastically. He then glanced at the paper in front of her. "Anything interesting?" he enquired.

"Not had a chance to read it yet." Hermione replied, opening the paper once more. She froze in shock as she read the headline:

'MURDER AT MINISTRY.'

"Someone's been killed at the ministry," she said while scanning the rest of the page, giving a small sigh of relief when she didn't recognize the name.

"When? What happened?" Severus spoke sharply, appearing fully alert now.

"Last night," Hermione told him while reading the article through again, this time more thoroughly. "A man from the Department of Mysteries. Andrew Jenkins. No idea of how he died. No clues. No suspects- Oh God, that's horrible!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What?"

"They found the body in a pool of blood! But no cuts. Nothing. I wonder who it was."

Severus sighed and helped himself to some toast. "Could have been anyone, the Ministry isn't exactly popular at the moment. A Death Eater with a grudge; an extremist; somebody trying to get the Minister of Magic." he took a bite of toast. "Somebody trying to do-in Potter." he added hopefully.

"How can you take this so calmly?" Hermione snapped at him. "A man just died, you know."

Severus shrugged. "Getting upset over a man we never met won't help anyone, Hermione."

"He had a family! Children!" she paused, expecting a reply and frustrated when he didn't bother. "Don't you feel just a little bit sorry?" she added exasperatedly.

"Nope."

"Do you feel anything at all?"

Severus turned to look at her, and she saw a flash of anger in his eyes. "You feel too much." he muttered, before standing up and limping away abruptly, leaving his breakfast unfinished.

Hermione shook her head angrily and returned to reading the paper, vexed by the fact that he had got the last word, once again.

……………………………….

A week later and the death at the Ministry had turned into the biggest murder mystery to hit the wizarding community for along time, simply because no-one knew what had happened. That night as Severus was sitting at his desk marking papers, he couldn't help but wonder what had really happened. Not that he was likely to get any closer to the truth than anyone else. Still, it was intriguing in a macabre kind-of way. He looked up from the papers he was marking as a cold breeze swept through the room. He glanced over at the door to his classroom, only to realise that it was slightly ajar. He could have sworn he had closed it. Nevertheless, he got up walked over and shut the door once more.

"Evening, Severus." a musical voice called from behind him.

He spun around and found that he was no longer alone. The woman from his dreams that had helped him a few months ago was standing in his classroom. Her pale, swirling skin gave off an unnatural white light and she still didn't seem to be quite solid.

"What do you think you are doing?" he snapped at her, fully aware that her presence here couldn't mean anything good.

The woman smiled slightly. "We need your help. The healers need your help."

Severus shook his head. "Why me?" he asked, folding his arms and glaring at her. "Can't you find someone else to do your dirty work for once?"

She shook her head. "We need your help. The deaths have already begun. It's your destiny."

"It's my _destiny_?!" he sneered, laughing bitterly. "Like I've never heard that line before. The future can change. Find someone else to do your work."

She looked at him sadly. "In just over a week you will change your mind. Then we will find you. And you will come."

"Don't hold your breath," Severus growled at her. "Now get out." The woman didn't move but continued to stare at him. He found it rather disturbing. "Get out! Now!" he finally shouted at her, and to his surprise she slowly faded away before his eyes. He was left standing in his classroom alone with a strange feeling of foreboding lurking in the back of his mind. He pushed the feeling away and went back to his marking.

"No spirit can tell me what I'm going to do," he muttered darkly to himself.

However he didn't sound half as confidant as he would have liked.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: I haven't been able to update in a while because I've been on holiday etc, but although this is only a short chapter I should be updating regularly again soon!_**

…………………………

Christmas had come to Hogwarts once more, and the festive mood had fallen on the castle like an unruly storm cloud. And Severus also knew that, like a storm, it was futile to try and avoid it completely. So instead he just put up with it the best he could. He had even managed to find a present for Hermione. But he wasn't quite sure on the protocol for giving presents, as it wasn't exactly something he was in the habit of doing. Meanwhile, another attack had taken place in the ministry. This time the woman had escaped, but she was currently still unconscious in St. Mungos, suffering from severe loss of blood.

Severus pushed his guilty thoughts to the back of his mind as he stepped out through the main doors into the crisp morning air. Now the holidays had begun there was very few students who would be up at this time in the morning, so it seemed as good a time as ever to go for a walk. There was a thick blanket of snow covering the grounds, however the sky was a clear blue and the winter sun lit up the place beautifully. Despite the sunshine he still needed to pull his cloak tighter around him to escape the bitter chill. Going out for walks wasn't something that he was really in the habit of doing, but he had no desire to stay indoors after the dream he had last night. It was much the same as the one before, except this time when he fell he had found that there was a knife in his hand and he was covered in blood. He shivered again, and this time it wasn't anything to do with the weather.

Eventually he found himself near the loch, and it was after a few moments of studying his surroundings that he heard someone mutter something directly behind him. Startled out of his reverie he turned only find Hermione smirking at him in amusement.

"Did I disturb you?"

He shook his head and began to fix his cloak to hide his embarrassment at being taken by surprise so easily. "I was just thinking…"

She looked at him oddly. "About?"

"I…nothing, just-" he paused to fish out something from one of his cloak pockets. "Here," he muttered, "It's for you," she took it hesitantly as he half-shrugged and turned away to face the loch. "For Christmas."

"Oh," she began while opening the little pouch he had given her. "I- it's beautiful!" she breathed softly, taking out the delicate silver chain and examining the pendant that hung on it more closely.

"It's a bind rune." Hermione said, looking up in puzzlement. "Do you know what it means?"

Severus continued to look away while he spoke. "I was told it meant 'Immortal love'," he glanced at her expression before looking away again. "But I am guessing by the look on your face that it does not."

She smiled and shook her head. "It's quite a common mistake actually, but the extra line at the top transforms the rune for 'love', into 'blood'."

"'Immortal blood'," he muttered sarcastically. "Great."

"For the purpose of the gift, they both mean the same thing," Hermione added consolingly, and to his surprise she lent towards him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

He sighed in relief and put his arm around her shoulders. "So, what have you got me then?" he watched with amusement as she glanced up at him in sheer panic.

"Severus, I-" she began.

"Joking." he explained, smirking slightly. Hermione glared at him before eventually shaking her head and smiling slightly.

They stood together in comfortable silence for at least five minutes before Hermione spoke again.

"Severus," she began hesitantly, "You don't think that, that _thing_ at the funeral had anything to do with these attacks, do you?"

He sighed and pulled his arm away from her. "Not directly, no."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nearly a week ago that woman that helped us, one of the healers, appeared in my classroom-"

"In your classroom?" Hermione muttered incredulously.

"Not jealous, are we?" Severus commented dryly, receiving another glare in return.

"Just. Get on. With the story."

He suddenly broke off and started to walk along the edge of the water, forcing Hermione to jog to catch up with him.

"She asked for my help." he explained tonelessly. "I refused."

Hermione stopped and stood still. "You, you refused?"

"What did you expect?" he shrugged. "I really don't want any more involvement."

"But…" she trailed off, evidently lost for words.

"Yes?"

"Don't you want to help? Surely they wouldn't have asked you unless they needed you?"

"Too bad."

She stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Then, she smiled slightly. "Coward."

"What?" he snarled back, too shocked to make a proper reply. Hermione seemed to falter slightly but she continued nevertheless.

"Yes, yes that's right…a coward." she seemed suddenly rather frightened as she watched his anger rise as he glowered at her. Then, to their surprise, the anger seemed to slip away from him.

"Fine." he muttered in a strained tone. "Fine." she watched in shock as he turned towards the loch and started to shout to no-one in particular. "ALRIGHT! I'll help! Happy?"

"Severus, who are you-" Hermione started to ask, but stopped as she saw the ghostly woman suddenly appear in front of them.

"Very well," the woman began. "Come." she beckoned forward.

"What? Now? Surely not?" Severus sneered.

The woman smiled at his words. "The sooner you come, the sooner we can end the trouble."

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted, stepping forward. "I'll…I'll come with you."

"No, it's-" Severus began, but before they could finish there was a blinding white light, followed by an unusual pulling sensation.

He knew instantly that they weren't at Hogwarts anymore.

……………………


	6. Chapter 6

Severus found himself lying flat out on what appeared to be a tiled floor, and once his vision settled he realised that they had ended up in what could only be described as a gigantic, hall-like structure. It was far bigger than the Great Hall at Hogwarts and the contrast between the bright, icy winter's day that they had just left and their final destination was incredible. The architecture itself was comprised of a strange, gray marble-like stone that had been intricately carved in foreign shapes and symbols that were slightly disconcerting to look at. The huge stone pillars that lined the room also doubled up as fountains, with slowly trickling water falling into shallow pools around the circumference of the pillars. Ivy clung to many of the pillars and a vast array of flowering plants seemed to grow from cracks and spaces between the stonework. The air was moist and humid and a curious, sickly-sweet fragrance hung in the air. Even the light had a strange, bluish tinge to it that gave way to the impression that it was dusk wherever they were. Carved dark-wood benches lined the sides of the room and they all appeared to be facing the raised dais in the centre of the pillars.

However the most unsettling thing of all was the fact that even once he thought his vision had gone back to normal, everything around him didn't seem quite solid. The pillars, the benches, the water; everything appeared to have a very ethereal appearance. Eventually he found himself being interrupted from his observations by a tall, fair-haired man in midnight-blue robes.

"Welcome to Anglfar. I am Lord Kellan. This is my home."

"Your home?" Hermione whispered quietly, gazing around her surroundings in awe.

The man smiled slightly and gestured to the hall around them. "This is the last refuge for the Healers. We have always been safe here from those that would wish us destroyed."

"But… what has any of this got to do with me? Or to do with the attacks?" Severus snapped, trying to control the irritation that must have been clear in his voice.

Lord Kellan sighed suddenly and seemed to look a lot older then at first glance. He beckoned them to follow and walked up to the platform in the centre of the room.

Severus found that, even as he walked, everything seemed to shift slightly around them, and he found himself experiencing the same sort of disorientation as one might feel as they look over the edge of a steep cliff and suddenly realise how close they are to falling. Hermione appeared to be suffering the same sort of vertigo as once she started to move she grabbed onto his arm to stop herself from falling.

"You alright?" he muttered as she managed to steady herself. She nodded but didn't speak, and Severus noticed that she had acquired a rather sickly pallor. "Come on." he told her, and this time he tried focusing on Lord Kellan when he started to walk, as surprisingly he seemed to be the most solid point in the room. Eventually they made it up to the platform beside the robed figure; Lord Kellan was peering into a bowl that was sitting on an ornate pedestal. Severus was fairly sure it had not been there last time he had looked.

"Takes a bit of getting used to, doesn't it?" Lord Kellan commented absentmindedly as he continued to gaze into the bowl, which seemed to contain a swirling, opaque liquid.

Severus just glared at him, not trusting himself to speak.

"You asked what any of this has to do with the attacks, didn't you?"

"Yes." Severus retorted, a little too sharply.

The blonde man took a deep breath before explaining. "By helping you defeat the demon we inadvertently created a semi-permanent link between your world and ours. A Shadow managed to slip through the link into your world, and there it was able to use its powers to cause havoc, including the summoning of the messenger you met not too long ago-"

"What do you mean, a Shadow?" Hermione interjected.

"A Shadow is a being of this realm that feeds on the blood of others, rather akin to a vampire in fact, and by doing so it can also absorb its victim's powers. Most are relatively harmless, but we have reason to believe that this one was an ally of the…traitor… that you both killed."

"So what do you expect me to do?" Severus scoffed. "Kill it?"

Lord Kellan smiled grimly. "Exactly."

At this point the blond man seemed to be distracted by something, and he turned back to the bowl that stood beside them. To their surprise he suddenly stuck his hand into the bowl, and with a mutter of "Ah, here we go…" he pulled his hand back out of the liquid. Only this time his was clutching a long, thin copper dagger. It was sinister looking blade, with what appeared to be blood stains on the hilt.

"I recognise that blade…" Severus said in shock.

"What?" Lord Kellan looked up sharply.

"It… it was in a dream I had…" Severus explained, feeling rather foolish, "But I can't remember what happened." the last bit was a lie, added hastily so that he didn't feel any more embarrassed.

"Ah, that is not so bad then." Lord Kellan replied cryptically, appearing to relax a little for some unknown reason. "Here you go."

Severus took the knife instinctively, but as he did so the image from his dream, of himself holding the dagger with blood-stained hands, burned in his mind ominously, leaving him with a distinct feeling of unease that he couldn't quite place.

"Can't you do this yourself?" he asked finally, the anger in his voice only half-hearted as he resigned himself to the task that had befallen him.

Lord Kellan, much to Severus's frustration and chagrin, laughed softly at his pointed enquiry; evidently he had realised that had been successful in managing to corner his intended target into submission. "We need you for two reasons: Firstly, because out of all of us you have the most knowledge of the wizarding world. Secondly, we also want to draw as little attention to our involvement in these matters as possible."

"Fair enough…" Severus muttered, knowing defeat when he saw it.

"Wait…" Hermione interrupted, stepping in front of him protectively. "Isn't this going to be dangerous?"

"I am perfectly capable of dealing this, thank you very much Miss Granger," Severus snapped at her, angered at her embarrassing display of affection without knowing quite why. Turning, he stepped purposely away from the other two and started to head back to the edge of the hall, secretly pleased that the room around them stayed still this time. He reached the spot where he guessed they had arrived in the first place and turned back to Lord Kellan, choosing to ignore the reproachful look on Hermione's face. "So…" he began, feigning indifference. "Where do you wish me to go?"

…………………………

"But…we're back at Hogwarts, aren't we?" he heard Hermione whisper from beside him; Severus glanced around in surprise as he realised that they were, indeed, standing outside the Great Hall. It appeared to be evening and, from where they where standing in the empty entrance hall, he could hear snatches of conversation and the scraping of cutlery as the students enjoyed their evening meal. Surprise turned to alarm as he began to realise what it might mean…

A scream cut through the sounds of feasting and was followed up swiftly by several more shouts and exclamations. Glancing at Hermione they ran towards the hall, only to be greeted by the sight of the students crowded around a young first-year Hufflepuff who was kneeling on the floor, her face contorted in sheer agony. Stowing the knife in his robes, Severus pushed forward through the crowd. He automatically reacted by slipping into a calm state of mind, partly in order to shut out the panic and horror that radiated from the children all around him, but also to help quell the burning terror and smouldering dread that was twisting and writhing in the back reaches of his own conscious.

This girl screamed again, and now he was closer he could see that small, shallow cuts were appearing on her face before his eyes. They began to bleed profusely and several muffled screams and cries erupted from around him. As he reached the girl he saw that, of the other teachers that were present, he was the closest out of the few that had managed to make it through the crowd….and that meant he would have to try and cure her. Alone.

Bending down beside the sobbing wreck of a girl he pulled out his wand and tried muttering a few basic healing spells, but it was to no avail. Now he could hear the girl whimpering, muttering softly to herself. He strained to catch most of the incomprehensible sentences, but he did catch her choking out the words "Get it off! Get it away…" repeatedly. He was so absorbed in trying to cure the student that he failed to even notice Hermione standing behind him, watching on anxiously.

He could see the girl getting paler and paler as he desperately tried to think of something that could help. Suddenly, the girl stopped screaming and started to gasp for air, as though being strangled by some invisible being. Before Severus had even a second to react to the rapid change the Hufflepuff slumped to the floor and lay still. A wave of uneasy silence crashed over the onlookers as they waited to see what would happen next. Reaching forward, he placed two fingers on the girl's bloodied neck to check for a pulse. The colour drained from his face as he realised that there was nothing there. He hadn't managed to save her in time.

Before Severus had time to come to terms with his failure, the stunned silence was broken once more, this time from a piercing scream right beside him. Twisting around he found, much to his own horror that it was now Hermione that was bent over in agonising pain. Panic erupted in his mind as he finally realised what had happened. As he reached forward to grab her he felt the weight of the dagger as it moved with him in his pocket. It was then that he remembered what he had been asked to do.

Several images flashed through his mind at that point: The sadness in the eyes of the woman when she had asked him to help; The unease that Lord Kellan had felt when Severus had mentioned the dream; The dream itself, of him running, fleeing with the dagger, escaping from some unknown evil with fresh blood on his hands.

They had known.

Known what he would have to do.

He was brought back to the present by Hermione collapsing onto the floor beside where he was kneeling. She grasped onto his arm and for a moment he was caught up by he soft brown eyes. They were pleading him to stop the pain, to save her. Guilt washed over him as, with realisation slowly dawning on him, he reluctantly drew the blade from his robes. Taking little comfort from the fact that he could at least end her suffering, he lifted the blade and plunged it into her still-beating heart…

Watching the life slowly drain away from her lovely features he found a weary emotional fatigue settle upon him like a heavy mantle; before he knew it he had collapsed into the arms of the bittersweet saviour that is unconsciousness.

…………………


	7. Chapter 7

As he began to stir from his nightmarish slumber, snatches of a conversation seemed to filter into his head. He was extremely reluctant to wake up, but the sounds prevented him from drifting back off to sleep. Having little choice he began to concentrate on making sense of what was happening.

"Is he awake yet?" he vaguely recognised the sound of the Headmaster's voice who making the enquiry, presumably about him.

"No, not yet," He heard Madam Pomfrey reply testily, "And I would very much appreciate if you remove that horrible…thing…from my ward."

"The knife belongs to him, I'm afraid, and I would rather not touch it unless necessary."

The mentioning of the knife caused him to vaguely recall the memories which he had been trying to hide from for several days now. He felt numb, dead, and he didn't want to face the truth quite yet.

"Do…do what you want…with the knife…" Severus muttered tonelessly, not quite brave enough open his eyes yet. "I…I don't care. I don't want to see it."

"Oh come now Severus, it isn't-"

"I don't want to hear it, Dumbledore." Severus snapped, opening one eye.

"Severus, listen to-"

"I don't wish to hear your advice." he growled softly, eyes shut once more. "Leave me be."

"She's not dead, you know."

"What?" Severus opened his eyes to look at the elderly professor in disbelief. "But, I…where is she?"

The headmaster smiled slightly and gestured over the other side of the ward. "She's right there, but perhaps you should wait-"

Severus ignored the last part and climbing shakily out of bed, he headed over to the other side of the room where, much to his disbelief, Hermione was sleeping. And was alive. He knelt down beside her and took one of her hands.

"She…she should be dead." he muttered slowly, not taking his eyes off her sleeping form. "The blade, it went right through her-"

"I know," the headmaster replied, sounding, if possible, even more amused than before. "I must admit, Severus, you gave us all quite a shock when you did that, but then I saw that amulet that she was wearing! A most ingenious idea-"

"What amulet?" Severus looked up in confusion, both bemused and extremely relieved at the same time.

"Why, that necklace, didn't you realise?" the headmaster sounded surprised.

"Obviously not…" he muttered, wondering what he could have missed.

"It appears to be embedded with some sort of charm that would be activated when it came into contact with the wearer's blood," the headmaster explained. "It kept her alive just long enough to receive proper healing," he paused to look at him oddly. "Items like that are extremely rare…where did she get it?"

Severus looked back at Hermione, noticing she still wore the necklace around her neck. "I gave it to her, for her Christmas."

"Indeed…" he heard Dumbledore reply, and when he looked back he saw that the headmaster's eyes sparkled with amusement. Luckily the glare Severus gave him was enough to stop any other comments being made at his expense. Dumbledore waited a couple of minutes before speaking again. "So, what do you wish to do with that knife?"

"What knife-" he paused when he saw that the knife had moved from beside his bed to resting on the arm of his chair. The sight of it sickened him, and the fact that it had moved of its own accord frightened him too. Before he could reply another, soft musical voice interrupted them.

"Well done, Severus," the voice congratulated him, "You managed to kill it." Severus watched with distain as Lord Kellan appeared from the shadows. The man smiled easily and as he reached Severus he put out his hand, as though expecting him to shake it. Severus glared at the newcomer, and didn't take the proffered hand.

"A child died." he said quietly. "And Hermione….She nearly died too." Severus grasped the blade that lay beside him subconsciously. "And you knew. You knew what would happen!" he stood up to face the Lord Kellan, who appeared to be rather astonished by the sudden turn of conversation.

"It was all necessary, I assure you!" he spluttered hastily, putting up one hand defensively.

"How. Dare. You." Severus snarled angrily, taking a step, then another, closer to the blue-robed man, now all too aware that he held the blade in his shaking hand. He was sure Dumbledore was telling him something, but the words weren't making any impact on his brain. Rage burned furiously within him; fatigue pushed any remaining logic or reason out of his mind. Grabbing the Healer by the robes, he pushed the small knife to the man's soft neck, smiling coldly at the man's evident discomfort. "Get out of here. Now."

"You're one of us," the man hissed at him warningly. "Remember that!"

Severus sneered at the man, malice causing him to press the knife harder against the Healer's neck. Then he let go of him in disgust. "Don't come back." he growled finally, and Lord Kellan shook his head disparagingly before disappearing into thin air.

Severus turned back to Hermione's bed only to find her awake and staring, wide-eyed, at him. He wasn't that surprised, really. He must have looked quite a state, with his lank black hair clinging to his face, dark circles under his eyes from his nightmares and the blood-stained knife still in his hand. Never mind the fact he'd just been caught threatening someone with the knife. His case wasn't looking too good.

"Severus?" he hard her whisper faintly, causing the guilt to writhe in his stomach once more as he realised she was still in pain.

"This, this is all my fault," he muttered weakly, feeling even worse when she shook her head in disagreement. He needed to get away from her, stay away from her. "I, I need to go," he told her in a strained voice, and before Hermione or the headmaster could stop him he hurried out the ward as fast as his weary body could carry him.

Eventually he reached his quarters and slamming the door behind him, he slumped onto the cold floor, leaning against the wall. He rested his head against the solid brickwork and closed his eyes, wishing - not for the first time in his life - that he had a god to pray to, some sort of faith to bring him solace.

But he had neither, so instead he wept.

…………………………

The next four days felt like a waking dream. Or nightmare, depending on your view point. He ate, because he had to. Slept, because he needed to. He had no classes to teach as it was still the holidays, but whenever he ventured out of the dungeons he found that students were keen to avoid him, keeping their distance as they went by in a way that was reminiscent of water flowing past a rock in a stream. They whispered as he passed, stared at him on occasion. None of it made any impression on him. All he knew as he sluggishly, laboriously worked through each individual day, was two things: firstly, that he had to avoid the hospital wing. He didn't think about why. He just had to stay away from…her. Secondly, that it was his fault. That was what he told himself. That was what he thought whenever he saw the curst blade which followed him wherever he went, no matter where he put it, buried it, or even threw it. It always reappeared.

Today, he was going down to the lake; more from a dull shadow of curiosity than any real hope, he had wondered what would happen if he tried to throw the knife into its icy depths. Unlike his last visit to the lake, the sky was filled with dark and ominous clouds that promised rain and suited his mood perfectly. A sharp, bitter wind tore at his cloak and skin, and by time he had reached the lake shore he was shivering badly. Pulling his cloak tighter around him, he stood and pondered how he should go about his task. It was while he was doing so that the rain clouds broke and the wind suddenly picked up, whipping his hair into his face and causing the icy raindrops to feel like tiny shards of glass against his exposed face. Cursing silently, he reached up to try pull his hair away from his face, and it was only after several attempts did he manage to regain full sight once more, and also realise that someone was heading towards him though the sheets of rain. The figure had their cloak hood up, so it was only upon reaching him that he realised who it was.

"Hermione?" he muttered in disbelief.

She smiled wryly, and then winced as another gust of wind caused more icy shards of water to hit them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Severus snapped at her suddenly, loudly over the howling wind, angry without knowing quite why. "In this weather? You're ill enough as it is!" he felt even worse as he saw her flinch at his tone of voice, yet he still knew that he had a point. She was extremely pale and her eyes showed that she was still in pain. "Haven't I done you enough harm already?" he finally said quietly, the all-too familiar felling of guilt twisting inside him once more.

"Oh, so that's why you've been avoiding me?" she exclaimed suddenly, taking Severus by surprise. "You know I've been sitting in that hospital ward ever since you stormed out like that, wondering what on earth I could have done to upset you! I've been feeling guilty the entire time, not even knowing what I'd done-" she paused, mid-sentence, to pull the hair out of her face.

"Look, I-" Severus began apologetically, but was cut off by Hermione before he could finish.

"Severus, what were you thinking? I don't understand how anyone could be so-"

It was not often that Severus acted on sheer impulse alone, but it was not often that he stood so close to someone that he cared for so deeply, someone who could get so incredibly worked up simply because he didn't come to visit. So, before she could chide him any further, he leant in and kissed her gently on the lips.

She pulled away in shock and looked at him oddly. "I hate you," she told him resignedly, but before he could ask her what she meant she had her hands wrapped in his hair and was kissing him once more.

………………………………

**A/N: So this is it finished, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Oh, and if you liked this then please feel free to check out the fantasy story I'm starting to write on fictionpress, **_**The Lost Souls of Argentiya**_** (under the same penname as my fanfiction account). Thank you!**


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